By Gabriel Princewill-
Wes Streeting is on course to become the new labour leader and prime minister, as Keir starmer’s stock dramatically weakens in the face of increasingly falling support in his own party.
Pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer intensified dramatically on Monday as more than 70 Labour MPs publicly called for him to step down, fuelling growing speculation that Health Secretary Wes Streeting is preparing to launch a leadership bid in what could become the most serious internal crisis of Starmer’s premiership.
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The rebellion, which has rapidly escalated following Labour’s disastrous local election results, marks one of the largest coordinated revolts against a sitting Labour leader in recent political history. MPs, ministerial aides and senior party figures are now openly questioning whether Starmer can lead Labour into another general election after severe losses across England, Scotland and Wales.
While Starmer has vowed to remain in office and warned that a leadership contest could plunge Labour into “chaos,” pressure from within his own party appears to be intensifying by the hour. According to multiple reports, allies of Streeting have already begun quietly preparing campaign infrastructure behind the scenes, including outreach to MPs and discussions about policy direction should a challenge formally emerge.
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The crisis reached a new level after The Independent on Monday reported that Streeting is now “poised for a leadership bid” as scores of Labour MPs joined calls for Starmer’s resignation. The report suggested that several junior government figures linked to Streeting had already resigned from their roles, further intensifying speculation that an organised push against the Prime Minister is now underway.
The atmosphere inside Westminster has become more feverish by the day, with some Labour MPs reportedly describing Starmer’s position as “untenable” after the scale of the party’s electoral setbacks. Several MPs who had previously remained loyal to the Prime Minister are now publicly demanding a timetable for his departure, arguing that Labour risks electoral collapse if it fails to change direction quickly.
Starmer’s difficulties have been compounded by the resignations of parliamentary aides and mounting criticism from across different wings of the party. The Mandelson scandal didn’t help at all. Allies of Streeting, alongside supporters of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, are increasingly being viewed as possible power centres in a post-Starmer Labour Party.
Although Streeting has not formally declared any intention to challenge the Prime Minister, reports suggest his allies believe he now has sufficient support among MPs to mount a credible leadership campaign.
The Evening Standard recently reported claims that Streeting may already have backing from more than 81 MPs — enough to trigger a formal challenge under Labour Party rules. The question inside Labour is no longer whether Starmer is under pressure, but whether his leadership can realistically survive it. Whilst not impossible, survival for Starmer seems highly improbable , in light of all the woes that has befallen his party of late.
Streeting does not necessarily have the magic wand to transform Labour’s political misfortunes, and much will depend how Labour Mps assess his strengths and weaknesses. The current health minister is clearly vying for Starmer’s spot, and close to bidding a formal challenge against Starmer’s leadership.
Labour party Mps have to predict the chances of the prime minister coming up trumps against Reform leader Nigel Farage, who poses the greatest threat to the other two parties, following their latest local election success.
All indications are that the will to boot Starmer out is growing remarkably fast in a desperate bid by party members to salvage the party’s injuries, and present a new face they believe can lead the party and country in a new direction.
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